Details of their conversation were not released, but earlier he said he would tell Mr. Ban that Thailand had not attacked Cambodia or its civilians.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said he spoke with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong yesterday and they agreed to holds talks in a third country.

After being approached by Phnom Penh, the UN Security Council said it would be willing to hold a meeting to discuss the conflict.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Bangkok yesterday he had received clear messages from Thailand and Cambodia that both countries would find a peaceful solution to the problem.

Mr. Natalegawa met with Mr. Kasit for 40 minutes yesterday to discuss the conflict on the last leg of his two-nation tour to Cambodia and Thailand to help end the conflict.

Mr. Natalegawa said Indonesia, as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was encouraging Bangkok and Phnom Penh to solve all of their border problems through bilateral mechanisms.

He said he believed there was space for Asean and its members to support the bilateral efforts of the two countries to resolve the conflict.

"Any engagement by Asean and by any individual country is not to replace the bilateral approach. On the contrary, it is to support it," he said.

Mr. Kasit said Mr. Natalegawa asked how Asean could support the two countries in restoring peace and prosperity to the grouping.

He said he had also talked with Hor Namhong on the telephone yesterday afternoon and they agreed to hold talks in a third country to find a solution to the border row.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdee said Thailand and Cambodia would try to settle the dispute when they meet later this month at the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

The border fighting between Thai and Cambodian soldiers ended on Monday. The ICJ ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear temple was in Cambodian territory and Thailand was obliged to withdraw its troops around the temple, she said.

Letters that do not contain full contact information cannot be published.Letters become the property of AseanAffairs and may be republished in any format.They typically run 150 words or less and may be edited

orsubmit your comment in the box below

Name

Email

1. Verifier

For security purposes, we ask that you enter the security code that is shown in the graphic. Please enter the code exactly as it is shown in the graphic.

ASEAN ANALYSISThis year in Thailand-what next?AseanAffairs04 January 2011By David Swartzentruber

It is commonplace in
journalism to write two types of articles at the transition point
between the year that has passed and the New Year.
As this writer qualifies as an “old hand” in observing Thailand with a
track record dating back 14 years, it is time take a shot at what may
unfold in Thailand in 2011.

The first issue that can’t
be answered is the health of Thailand’s beloved King Bhumibol, who is
now 83 years old. He is the world's longest reigning monarch, but
elaborate birthday celebrations in December failed to mask concern over
his health.
More